Fire-escape



(No Model.)

G. W. WATTS.

FIRE ESCAPE.

N0. 291,441. Patented Jan. 1, 1884.

a r I, C Y I l 6 r I 2! nmmm W 7 1 mum 1 I I WITNESSES: 1 INVENTOR: ,Aj FM r fiyw/m BY .X/ Lww ATTORNEYS.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

GEORGE \V. XVATTS, OF BROOKLYN, NElV YORK.

FIRE-ESCAPE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 291,441, dated January 1, 1884.

(No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GEORGE W. Warts, of Brooklyn, in the county of Kings and State of New York, have invented a new and Improved FireEscape, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

This invention consists of the combination and arrangement of parts, substantially as hereinafter fully set forth and claimed, whereby the force of gunpowder or similar explosive may be brought into use for elevating ladders from the ground or pavement to the roof or windows of buildings in case of fire, whereby the inmates of the building may es cape and the firemen ascend and descend.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this specification, in which similar letters of reference indicate cor responding parts in all the figures.

Figure 1 is a broken side elevation of afiremans hose-truck illustrating my invention as applied thereto. Fig. 2 is a front elevation of the cross piece of the truck on which the mortar is swiveled, the cross-pieee being provided with the holders in which the ladders are placed for tiring, and with an ammunitionbox. Fig. 3 is a detailed view of the chain ladder; and Fig. 4 is a detailed view of the projectile, connectingchain, and grapnel or anchor.

The hose-truck A is of ordinary construction, except that it is provided with the upright side pieces, B B, which support the ends of the cross-piece 0.

Upon the cross-pieceO is swiveled the mortar D, and at the sides of the mortar are placed and held in the erosspiece the ladderholders E E, in which the chain ladders F are placed at the time of firing, and from which they are elevated by the ascent of the projectile.

G G- are the projectiles or balls that are adapted to be fired from themortar D. These are attached to the chain ladders F by the short chainsf, which have the swivels a formed in them so that any revolution of the projectile in its flight will not be communicated to the ladder, and attached to the connecting-chains f, near the balls, are the grapnels or anchors H, that will catch upon the roof or windowcasing and hold the ladder in case the ball or projectile should fail to do so.

Under the cross-piece (J, in the center, is placed the box J, in which the powder for charging the mortar is carried.

With this device a ladder may be elevated to the roofs of high buildings or to any story thereof in a very expeditious and practical manner, so that in case of fire the inmates may be rescued, and so that the firemen may quickly ascend for effective work toward extinguishing the fire and saving lives and property.

The chain ladder F is by preference formed with the chain cross-pieces or steps g, and with the plain iron bars g, atintervals, which serve to hold the main side chains oftheladder apart, and also as steps in the ladder; but I do not confine myself to this form of ladder, as any form of flexible ladder may be used.

Having thus fully described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. The chain ladder F, havingthe projectile G attached to it by the swiveled chain f, in combination with the grapnel or anchor H, substantially as and for thepurposes set forth.

2. The combination, with the projectile G, of the ladder F and swiveled chain f, conneeting the ladder and projectile together, whereby any revolution that the projectile may have will not be communicated to the ladder, substantially as and for the purpose set forth.

3. The cross-piece (3, provided with the holders E and box J, in combination with the mortar D, chain ladder F, and projectile G, substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

Vitnesses: GEORGE \V. \VATTS.

JOHN ALYEA, D. O. PEARL. 

